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Australian Cattle Dog

The breeds · herding

AKC Herding · UKC Herding · FCI standard 287

Australian Cattle Dog.

AKC standard: the prime function, 'one in which he has no peer', is the control and movement of cattle in both wide open and confined areas; a self-appointed guardian to the stockman, his herd and his property. FCI 287 utilization: cattle dog, developed to establish the Australian cattle industry, needing a strong, biting dog with great stamina to muster and move wild cattle. RKC: sometimes known as the Blue or Red Heeler or Queensland Heeler, because they crouch low and nip at the heels of cattle to drive them on; often used as a station guard dog. ACDCA: developed to control wild cattle in groups of several hundred on long drives; 'a well trained Cattle Dog can replace two to three good men on horseback'. UKC: 'a silent heeler'.

Breed sets the odds. The parents set the dog. Every number here shows its source, its spread and how sure we are. Nothing on this page is a prediction about one dog.

14YRMedian lifespan13.2 to 15.1, measured on real dogs.
0INHeightdogs null, bitches null. An ideal from the standard, not a range.
33–50LBWeight, all linesbreed dogs 33 to 50 lb; breed bitches 33 to 50 lb.
2.5+ HRSExercise, every dayMore than 2 hours per day (RKC). The constraint most homes get wrong.

The body

What the breed is built like. Registry standards give an ideal, not a range.

Height at the shoulder

dogs 18 to 20.1 in · bitches 16.9 to 19 in

Breed clubAKC breed standard, 1999

Low and high span the printed inches (AKC page, UKC, AKC's 'approximately') and the exact AKC/FCI centimetres (43 to 48 cm = 16.9 to 18.9 in). No ideal printed.

Weight

dogs 33 to 50 lb · bitches 33 to 50 lb

Breed clubAKC

Breed-wide bands counted in both sex rows; low is the UKC minimum, high the shared maximum.

Coat

AKC: smooth double coat with a short dense undercoat; outer coat close, each hair straight, hard and lying flat, rain-resisting; mild breeching behind the thigh; longer, thicker along the neck; body hair about 2.5 to 4 cm (1 to 1.5 in). Blue (blue, blue mottled or blue speckled, with black, blue or tan markings) or red speckle. FCI 287 and UKC describe the same coat

Breed clubAKC breed standard, 1999

Shedding

Sheds (RKC 'Sheds: yes'). AKC breed page shedding level 3 of 5

Breed clubThe Royal Kennel Club

Heat tolerance

4 of 5 · AKC: smooth double coat with a short dense undercoat; outer coat close, straight, hard and flat so that it is rain-resisting; body hair about 2.5 to 4 cm (1 to 1.5 in). UKC history: 'able to withstand the heat better than any other herding breed'

DerivedAKC breed standard, 1999

Derived from the coat description (short dense double coat = 4). The UKC heat sentence is a breed-history claim, not a measurement.

How long they live, and what they cost

Measured on real dogs, with the sample and the spread. Never a guess.

Median lifespan

14 years (13.2 to 15.1)

MeasuredMcMillan KM, 2024

UK pet-dog sample, small for the breed; the interval reflects it. Not in Teng 2022. The AKC page 'Life Expectancy' band (12-16 years) is deliberately not used.

The dog at home

What the breed asks of a day. The first thing most homes get wrong.

Exercise need

More than 2 hours per day (RKC)

Breed clubThe Royal Kennel Club

RKC band mapped: more than 2 hours = 150.

Exercise need

RKC: more than 2 hours per day; country rather than town; small house, small to medium garden. AKC breed page: energy level 5 of 5, mental stimulation needs 4 of 5. AKC standard: 'strength and endurance', tireless; RKC: 'tireless, with great endurance'

Breed clubThe Royal Kennel Club

Energy

AKC breed page: energy level 5 of 5, playfulness 3 of 5, mental stimulation needs 4 of 5, barking level 1 of 5, trainability 4 of 5, watchdog/protective nature 4 of 5

Breed clubAKC

Grooming load

2 of 5 · Once a week (RKC grooming band); AKC breed page coat grooming frequency 1 of 5

Breed clubThe Royal Kennel Club

RKC band mapped: once a week = 2. The AKC page scores grooming lower (1 of 5); both stand.

Grooming

RKC: once a week; short coat that sheds. AKC breed page: coat grooming frequency 1 of 5. AKC standard: a coat either too long or too short is a fault

Breed clubThe Royal Kennel Club

The work

What it was built to do in the field, and what a test or trial asks of it.

Role

AKC standard: the prime function, 'one in which he has no peer', is the control and movement of cattle in both wide open and confined areas; a self-appointed guardian to the stockman, his herd and his property. FCI 287 utilization: cattle dog, developed to establish the Australian cattle industry, needing a strong, biting dog with great stamina to muster and move wild cattle. RKC: sometimes known as the Blue or Red Heeler or Queensland Heeler, because they crouch low and nip at the heels of cattle to drive them on; often used as a station guard dog. ACDCA: developed to control wild cattle in groups of several hundred on long drives; 'a well trained Cattle Dog can replace two to three good men on horseback'. UKC: 'a silent heeler'

Breed clubAKC breed standard, 1999

The heeler of the group. Not the Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog, a separate breed. Ancestry per FCI 287: smooth blue-merle collies crossed with the Dingo, later Dalmatian and black-and-tan Kelpie.

Primary game

Cattle, including wild cattle on long outback drives (ACDCA, FCI 287)

Breed clubAustralian Cattle Dog Club of America, 1996

Also used on

Sheep, hogs and fowl (ACDCA: 'trial or farm work with sheep, hogs and fowl', and gentle with calves, lambs or ducks); guard dog on the station (RKC); family companion and herding-test dog (AKC herding eligible)

Breed clubAustralian Cattle Dog Club of America, 1996

Range

Close worker (ACDCA working standard): some dogs work and flank very close, others moderately wide and close the distance to heel; most can be taught to work wider if required

Breed clubAustralian Cattle Dog Club of America, 1996

Search pattern

ACDCA working standard: an upright breed, head carried at shoulder level so the dog can read the stock and slip in to heel; heels low on the leg at the fetlock or coronet with a quick grip and immediate release, and uses force at the head when turning or stopping stock; some drop to a crouch at the head, others stand and challenge; a loose to medium eyed breed; whether a dog fetches or drives depends on heritage, age, training and the stock it started on. A silent worker: force barks at the head are acceptable if few, continuous barking or barking at the heels is undesirable. UKC: 'a silent heeler'. AKC breed page: barking level 1 of 5

Breed clubAustralian Cattle Dog Club of America, 1996

Single worker versus pack work is not stated; the ACDCA describes one dog working a herd.

Field trial standard

AKC herding program: the Australian Cattle Dog is an eligible breed. Non-competitive Instinct Test, Herding Test and Pre-Trial test in a fenced arena on ducks, sheep or cattle; competitive trials at Started, Intermediate and Advanced levels on Courses A, B and C. FCI 287: Group 1, Section 2 Cattledogs, 'Without working trial'. AKC: the Instinct Test, which needs no prior training, judges the dog's ability to move and control livestock by fetching or driving

Breed clubAKC

How common the problems are

Evaluated dogs skew toward breeding stock; the numbers are still the best there are.

Hip dysplasia

16.6% · 16.6% dysplastic of 6,155 OFA hip evaluations on record (current all-data, accessed Oct 9 2026); 81.3% normal; mild 13.2%, moderate 3.2%, severe 0.3%; breed rank 71 in the OFA table

MeasuredOrthopedic Foundation for Animals

Voluntary registry: affected dogs are under-reported and evaluated dogs skew toward breeding stock, so true prevalence is higher. OFA figures are US dogs; they are not mixed with the UK sources.

Elbow dysplasia

12% · 12.0% abnormal of 3,454 OFA elbow evaluations on record (current all-data, accessed Oct 9 2026); 87.6% normal; grade 1 9.4%, grade 2 2.3%, grade 3 0.3%; breed rank 43 in the OFA table

MeasuredOrthopedic Foundation for Animals

Same voluntary-registry caveat as hips: under-reported, skewed toward breeding stock.

Most common disorders

ACDCA 2007 survey (sponsored by Australian Cattle Dog Health Education and Welfare, 402 breeders and owners responding): items of greatest concern were orthopedic issues, 338 (83%) (hip dysplasia 299, elbow dysplasia 202 listed under it); deafness, 315 (77.4%) (bilateral 282, unilateral 255); prcd-PRA, 305 (74.9%); cancer, 190 (46.7%); eye disorders other than prcd-PRA, 128 (31.4%), figures as the club prints them. The breed's CHIC program now requires hip, elbow and eye evaluations, BAER hearing, and prcd-PRA and primary lens luxation DNA tests (ACDCA, AKC)

Breed clubAustralian Cattle Dog Club of America, 2007

Respondents' concerns, a breeder-and-owner survey from 2007, not a measured prevalence.

More

akc bands

AKC breed page trait scores (1-5): Energy Level 5; Mental Stimulation Needs 4; Trainability Level 4; Barking Level 1; Watchdog/Protective Nature 4; Good With Young Children 3; Openness To Strangers 3; Good With Other Dogs 3; Shedding Level 3; Coat Grooming Frequency 1; Drooling Level 1; Affectionate With Family 3; Playfulness Level 3; Adaptability Level 3.

Breed clubAKC

Fourteen AKC bands in one row; the selector reads each by name. Breed-club ratings: a tendency, never a measurement.

What to ask a breeder for

The health clearances the breed’s own club and registry name. Reference only: what to ask for, never a statement about any dog’s health.

How to read this page

Every value carries a label. Measured means peer-reviewed data on many dogs. Studied means peer-reviewed, smaller or indirect. Breed club means a club or registry states it. Editorial means expert opinion with no measurement behind it. Where two good sources disagree, both are shown and neither is averaged.

Published when the entry rests on the best information available from no fewer than three independent sources, checked by a second pass that did not write it. 10 sources on this page. Found something wrong? Tell us and the correction is logged with its date.

Also called
Blue Heeler, Red Heeler, Queensland Heeler, Australian Heeler, ACD

Every breed, read the same way.

The breed index grows as entries clear the standard. Gun dogs first.

All published breeds

Your australian cattle dog, on the record.

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